Effects of different remission induction regimens on acute promydocytic leukemia

Objective:To compare the outcome of two different remission induction therapies for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL).Methods:Forty-eight patients with APL were randomly divided into group A and group B.Group A were treated with all-trans retinoic acid(ATRA) and low dose of homoharringtonine(LD-HHA),and group B ATRA combined with arsenic trioxide(ATO).Results:The complete remission(CR) rate was 88.0% in group A and 91.3% in group B.The average time to achieve CR in the two groups was(28.9 ±1.9)d and(27.8±2.1)d,respectively.There were no significant differences in the curative effect,early death rate or the incidence of differentiation syndrome between the two groups.Conclusions:The therapy of ATRA combined with LD-HHA may achieve similar curative effect as that of ATRA combined with ATO,but has the advantage of lower medical cost.So it is worth popularizing especially in less developed areas.